WHO confirms 13 Ebola cases in new outbreak in eastern Congo

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that 13 Ebola cases have been confirmed in a new outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeastern Ituri province.

Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the cases were confirmed by the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa after samples collected in the field were initially found negative.

“On 5 May, WHO received a signal of suspected cases and sent a team to Ituri to support DRC health officials in their investigation of the outbreak and collect samples in the field,” he said.

Samples were later analyzed in Kinshasa and confirmed positive for Ebola on Thursday, he added.

Tedros said this marks the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the virus was first identified in 1976, noting that the country has extensive experience responding to the disease.

WHO teams are already working alongside Congolese health authorities in Ituri, while additional experts specializing in infection prevention, logistics, clinical care and community engagement are expected to arrive in the coming days, according to Tedros.

He also announced the release of $500,000 from WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the response effort.

Priority measures include contact tracing, surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention and expanding access to clinical care, he said.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the health agency's director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said the WHO is also prepared to deploy vaccines if needed.

The “DRC has experience with working with vaccines before,” Van Kerkhove said, adding that vaccine stockpiles can be pre-positioned through existing international mechanisms depending on the strain involved.

Meanwhile, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's latest update on Friday, "about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones. Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases."

However, the WHO refrained from providing any figures relating to the case and death numbers for now.

The WHO said it will continue coordinating with authorities and partners in the region to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread.